Ryoma Sakamoto, one of the most beloved historical heroes in Japanese history, was assassinated at the age of 31 at the Ōmiya inn in Kyoto on the night of December 10, 1867, a month before the Meiji Restoration took place. Coincidentally, he was killed on his birthday. Assassins were said to be from a pro-Tokugawa Shogunate group, but the true assassins have never been proven.
Ryoma was buried with his best friend and the revolutionary comrade, Shintaro Nakaoka (who was assassinated with Ryoma on the night) in the cemetery inside Kyoto Ryozen Gokoku Shrine in Kyoto. In this cemetery, many samurai who died supporting the Meiji Restoration (1868), a turbulent era in Japan's history, rest in peace. For access information please refer to my other article, Searching for Ryoma Sakamoto.
